Armrest adjusting device

ABSTRACT

An armrest adjusting device for adjusting armrest of chairs includes a hollow armrest seat and a guide plate is fixedly inserted into the armrest seat. A movable member is movably received in the armrest and includes a push end which includes tapered surfaces to control two rods to be removably engaged with click notches in the vertical portion of the elevator part which is connected to the seat of the chair. The vertical portion is inserted in the armrest seat. The movable member is operated via an opening defined through a wall of the armrest seat which is moved with the movable member. The armrest seat does not need to make large holes so as to increase the structural strength and the armrest adjusting device can also be used with tubular elevator part.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an armrest adjusting device which movesthe armrest to a desired height while the armrest seat does not need tomake large holes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional armrest elevator device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,585,322 and shown in FIG. 7, wherein the control button 14 isconnected with a movable block 12 which is biased by a spring so thatthe movable block 12 is movable in the oblong hole in the armrest seat 1and guided by the elongated groove 102. The movable blocks 12 includestwo tapered surfaces which push the cylinder shafts 15 from the openingend to the closed end of the oblong apertures 13 such that the cylindershafts 15 are engaged with one of pairs of click grooves 111 in theelevator plate 11 to position the height of the armrest seat 1 relativeto the elevator plate 11. However, the armrest seat 1 has to be madewith the oblong hole 101, the elongated groove 102 and the oblongapertures 103, and all of which reduce the structural strength of thearmrest seat 1 and its outer appearance. The movable block 12 has to beinserted into the elongated groove 102 and the cover plate 13 has to behooked to the oblong hole 101, and the control button 14 is connected tothe movable block 12 via the opening of the cover plate 13. The assembleprocesses are too many and take a lot of time. The movable block 12 islocated at one side of the armrest seat 1 and if the elevator plate 11is a hollow tube and the click grooves 111 are defined in one sidewallof the hollow tube, the cylinder shafts 15 applying forces on onesidewall will causes shaking to the elevator plate 11 and the armrestseat 1. If both sidewalls of the hollow tube are equipped with themovable blocks 12 and the cylinder shafts 15, the complicated structureincrease assemble steps and might need extra maintenance.

The present invention intends to provide an adjusting device foradjusting height of chairs and the adjusting device includes less numberof parts and the armrest seat does not need to make large holes. Theguide plate is movable at substantially enter of the armrest seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an armrest adjusting device whichcomprises a hollow armrest seat having an opening defined in a firstsidewall and a recessed area defined in a second sidewall of the armrestseat. An elongate slot is defined through an inside of the recessedarea. An elevator part has a horizontal portion and a vertical portionwhich is inserted into the armrest seat from an underside of the armrestseat. An elevation slot is defined in the vertical portion of theelevator part and a plurality of click notches are defined in twoinsides of the elevation slot. A guide plate is received in the armrestseat and includes a top plate which is fixed to a connection top on atop of the armrest seat. A body extends from an underside of the topplate and includes an elongate slot which communicates with a narrowedspace which is in communication with a restriction slot. The narrowedspace and the restriction slot are located corresponding to theelevation slot and the click notches of the elevator part.

A movable member is movably received in the armrest seat and includes aelongate plate and a push end which extends from a lower end of theelongate plate. The elongate plate is slidable along the guide plate andthe push end includes a block extending laterally therefrom. The blockis located in the narrowed space of the guide plate and includes twotapered surfaces and two parallel push surfaces which are located abovethe two tapered surfaces. An operation unit is connected to the elongateplate so as to control movement of the movable member in the armrestseat. Two rods are located between two sides of the block of the pushend and restricted in the restriction slot. The two rods are removablyengaged with two of click notches in the two insides of the at least oneelevation slot.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an armrestadjusting device for adjusting armrest of chairs, wherein the armrestseat needs only a limited area of opening via which the user can accessthe movable member, so that the armrest seat has better structuralstrength.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an armrestadjusting device for adjusting armrest of chairs, wherein the adjustingdevice can be cooperated with tubular elevator part.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view to show the armrest adjusting device of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting device ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting deviceof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view to show another embodiment of the armrestadjusting device of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting device inFIG. 4 of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting devicein FIG. 4 of the present invention, and

FIG. 7 is a conventional armrest adjusting device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the armrest adjusting device of the presentinvention comprises a hollow armrest seat 3 having an opening 301defined in a first sidewall and a recessed area 302 is defined in asecond sidewall of the armrest seat 3. An elongate slot 303 is definedthrough an inside of the recessed area 302. A connection top 304 isconnected on a top of the armrest seat 3 so as to be connected with anarmrest (not shown).

An elevator part 4 has a horizontal portion 41 and a vertical portion 42which is inserted into the armrest seat 3 from an underside of thearmrest seat 3. An elevation slot 43 is defined longitudinally in thevertical portion 42 of the elevator part 4 and a plurality of clicknotches 44 are defined in two insides of the elevation slot 43. Thehorizontal portion 41 is connected with the seat of the chair (both notshown).

A guide plate 31 is received in the armrest seat 3 and located betweenthe vertical portion 42 of the elevator part 4 and the second sidewallof the armrest seat 3. The guide plate 3 includes a top plate 311 whichis fixed to the connection top 304 of the armrest seat 3. An elongatebody 312 extends from an underside of the top plate 311 and includes anelongate slot 313 which communicates with a narrowed space 314 which isin communication with a restriction slot 315. The narrowed space 314 andthe restriction slot 315 are located corresponding to the at least oneelevation slot 43 and the click notches 44 of the elevator part 4. Twoguide ridges 317 extend from a side of the body 312 of the guide plate31 and the other side of the body 312 contacts the vertical portion 42of the elevator part 4.

A movable member 32 is movably received in the armrest seat 3 andincludes an elongate plate 321 and a push end 322 which extends from alower end of the elongate plate 321. The elongate plate 321 is slidablealong the guide ridges 317 of the guide plate 31 and the push end 322includes a block extending laterally therefrom. The block is located inthe narrowed space 314 of the guide plate 31 and including two taperedsurfaces 326 and two parallel push surfaces 327 which are located abovethe two tapered surfaces 326. An operation unit “A” is connected to theelongate plate 321 so as to control movement of the movable member 32 inthe armrest seat 3.

The operation unit “A” includes a recess 323 defined in a first side ofthe elongate plate 321 and the recess 323 is defined by a recessedportion protruding from a second side of the elongate plate 321. Aoperation flange 324 extends from the first side of the elongate plate321 and is located at a periphery of the recess 323. The recessedportion on the second side of the elongate plate 321 is movablyaccommodated in the opening 301 of the armrest seat 3, so that theuser's hand can insert in the recess 323 to pull the movable member 32.A spring 33 is connected between a first protrusion 325 extending from atop of the recessed portion and a second protrusion extending from anunderside of the top plate 311 of the guide plate 31 so as to keep themovable member 32 at a lower position. The second side of the elongateplate 321 is movable along the two guide ridges 317 on the body 312 ofthe guide plate 31.

Two rods 34 extend through the elongate slot 303 in the armrest seat 3,the elevation slot 43 of the elevator part 4 and the restriction slot315 in the guide plate 31. The rods 34 are located between two sides ofthe block of the push end 322 and pushed by the push surfaces 327 of theblock of the push end 322 so as to be engaged with two of click notches44 in the two insides of the at least one elevation slot 43. Each of thetwo rods 34 includes an enlarged head 341 which are stopped by elongateslot 303.

A cover 35 is engaged with the recessed area 302 of the armrest seat 3and includes a rib 351 extending from an inner side thereof, the rib 351contacts against the enlarged heads 341 of the rods 34.

When the user pulls the movable member 32 upward, the two push surfaces327 are removed from the two rods 34 while the two tapered surfaces 326are still located between the two rods 34, and the two rods 34 areremoved from the click notches 44 so that the user can pull or push themovable member 32 together with the armrest seat 3 to a desired height.When releasing the movable member 32, the spring 33 pushes the movablemember 32 downward so that the two push surfaces 327 are moved downwardto push the two rods 34 to engage with click notches 44 again toposition the armrest seat 3 relative to the elevator part 4 again. Theguide plate 31 and the vertical portion 42 of the elevator part 4 areboth received in the armrest seat 3 so that the assembly processes canbe simplified and the armrest seat 3 does not need to make large holes.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show another embodiment of the armrest adjusting devicewhich is cooperated with a tubular elevator part 6. The elevator part 6is a hollow tube and includes the horizontal portion 61 and the verticalportion 62 which is inserted into the hollow armrest seat 5. Twoelevation slots 63 are defined through two sidewalls of the verticalportion 62 respectively and each elevation slot 63 includes clicknotches 64 defined in the two insides thereof. The body 512 of the guideplate 51 is received in the vertical portion 62 of the elevator part 6and the top plate 511 of the guide plate 51 is connected to theconnection top 504 of the armrest seat 5. A guide ridge 517 is locatedin the elongate slot 513 in the body 512 and the elongate plate 521 ofthe movable member 52 slidably contacts the guide ridge 517.

The operation unit “A1” includes a connection portion 523 connected tothe elongate plate 521 with a gap defined between the connection portion523 and the elongate plate 521. The connection portion 523 extendsthrough the opening 501 of the armrest seat 5 and is connected with anoperation flange 524. A spring 53 is connected between a firstprotrusion 525 extending from a top of the push end 522 and a secondprotrusion extending from an underside of the guide ridge 517 of theguide plate 51. The two rods 54 are located on two sides of the taperedsurfaces 526 and push surfaces 527 of the push end 522 which is locatedin the narrowed space 514 of the guide plate 51. The two rods 54 arepushed toward two ends of the restriction slot 515 of the guide plate 51and are engaged with click notches 64 of both of the two elevation slots63.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. An armrest adjusting device comprising: a hollow armrest seat havingan opening defined in a first sidewall and a recessed area defined in asecond sidewall of the armrest seat, an elongate slot defined through aninside of the recessed area, a connection top connected on a top of thearmrest seat; an elevator part having a horizontal portion and avertical portion which is inserted into the armrest seat from anunderside of the armrest seat, at least one elevation slot defined inthe vertical portion of the elevator part and a plurality of clicknotches defined in two insides of the at least one elevation slot; aguide plate received in the armrest seat and including a top plate whichis fixed to the connection top of the armrest seat, a body extendingfrom an underside of the top plate and including an elongate slot, theelongate slot communicating with a narrowed space which is incommunication with a restriction slot, the narrowed space and therestriction slot located corresponding to the at least one elevationslot and the click notches of the elevator part; a movable membermovably received in the armrest seat and including an elongate plate anda push end which extends from a lower end of the elongate plate, theelongate plate being slidable along the guide plate and the push endincluding a block extending laterally therefrom, the block located inthe narrowed space of the guide plate and including two tapered surfacesand two parallel push surfaces which are located above the two taperedsurfaces, an operation unit connected to the elongate plate so as tocontrol movement of the movable member in the armrest seat, and two rodslocated between two sides of the block of the push end and restricted inthe restriction slot, the two rods engaged with two of click notches inthe two insides of the at least one elevation slot.
 2. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the guide plate is located between thevertical portion of the elevator part and the second sidewall of thearmrest seat, two guide ridges extend from a side of the body of theguide plate and the other side of the body contacts the vertical portionof the elevator part, the operation unit includes a recess defined in afirst side of the elongate plate and the recess is defined by a recessedportion protruding from a second side of the elongate plate, anoperation flange extends from the first side of the elongate plate andis located at a periphery of the recess, the recessed portion on thesecond side of the elongate plate is movably accommodated in the openingof the armrest seat, a spring is connected between a first protrusionextending from a top of the recessed portion and a second protrusionextending from an underside of the top plate of the guide plate, thesecond side of the elongate plate is movable along the two guide ridgeson the body of the guide plate, each of the two rods includes anenlarged head which are stopped by elongate slot, a cover is engagedwith the recessed area of the armrest seat and includes a rib extendingfrom an inner side thereof, the rib contacts against the enlarged headsof the rods.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein elevator partis a hollow tube and includes the horizontal portion and the verticalportion, two elevation slots are defined through two sidewalls of thevertical portion respectively and each elevation slot includes clicknotches defined in the two insides thereof, the body of the guide plateis received in the vertical portion of the elevator part and a guideridge is located in the elongate slot in the body, the elongate plate ofthe movable member slidably contacts the guide ridge and the operationunit includes a connection portion connected to the elongate plate witha gap defined between the connection portion and the elongate plate, theconnection portion extends through the opening of the armrest seat andis connected with the operation flange, a spring is connected between afirst protrusion extending from a top of the push end and a secondprotrusion extending from an underside of the guide ridge of the guideplate.